Flying-boat and like craft



L. R. GRUMMAN FLYING BOAT AND LIKE CRAFT Filed July 13, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Illl INVENTOA ATTORNEY April 7, 1931.

April 7, 1931. v L. R. GRUMMAN 1,799,555

FLYING BOAT AND LIKE CRAFT Filed Jufy 1;. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR BY m Y ATTORNEY v Patented 7,1931

.uN-lra i STATES PATEN OFFICE FLYING-BOAT AND LIKE cam I Application 'fi led J'uly This inventionre'lates to air 'and water craft, that is to say to flying-boats, amphibians, s'ea'planes and the like. Graft ofthls character, when of the tractor type, are 111- convenient forpa'ssengers and crew entering orTeavin the plane, and are up to-doc s and moorings. When theplane is on the water and is approaching a landin place itis desirable fora man to go forwar 19 with a rope to make the plane fast to the that he may get past the proand if the propeller is started again" while he is on the forward deck he is exposed to considerable danger. Withthe propeller stoppedtheplane drifts with the wind siderable difiiculty' and wasteful of time to get the craft up to the landing place. In 'order to gain the forward deck it is usually necessary for a person tofget'out of the back of the cockpit or cabin and'go forward over the wing, which is awkward. v

The object of the present invention is'to provide a safe. and convenientway for persons toenter: propeller is tu of thecrew, or the pilot himself if he engine in order peller in safety,

is alone,

to reach the forwardportion of the float or boat witho ut the necessity of stopping the v propeller.

to afiord an enclosed passageway ben ath the I propeller, and a front. entrance. is p ovided ahead of the tractor propeller. In connection with this entrance a movable shield, is provided to keep passengers and crew from getting into the propeller. Specifically, the

hatch cover is made to open in such a way that it forms an efi'ective guard for this purpose, the cover thereforeserving a double purpose. J

'In the accompanying drawings forming part hereofz.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view (if a flying-boat or amphibian plane provided with the in= vention, the hatch cover being shown inthe open, propeller-guarding position; i

' Fig.2 is a side elevation on a larger scale of the forward half, more or less, of the boat difiicult .to bring mooring, but this necessitates stopping the and it is consequently a matter of conand \leave thec'raft while the rning, and to enable a member 'l- To this end the float is deslgned 1929. Serial Np. 377,942.

bod ,showing a 55 behlnd the raisedhatc cover; I

ent ,of the propeller Fig. 3 is a,vertical long1tudinal section through the portion of the forward deck containing the hatch or entrance, the cover fully raised and locked position being indicatlied by broken lines closed; and

, Fig.5 is a vertical transverse section on the line 5'-5 of Fig.4.

4 1s a s1m1lar view, showing thecover aken being shown partly raised in full lines, the

The airplane illustrated in these drawings has a central' flotation body 2 containing the places for the pilot and passengers or crew. One of the seats in the interior is indicated marked 4, and 5 is a forward propeller driven by an engine 6. v

Theboat or float 2 is of a familiar form "having-a decked-over nose portion 7 which at 3 in Fig. 2. 'The wings of the'plane are lies .close beneath the propellercircle and extends forward of the propeller'for a considerable distance; The deck of this portion is marked 8. L I

I Inthis deck, directly in front oi thepropeller,.I provide a hatch opening 9, large enough-for a person to go through, and I ara-passageway from this entrance to the part terioris substantially unobstructed from the range that the interior of the body shallaiford bulkhead 1O at'the front of the hatch rear- 1 Ward to the pilots' and passengers p aces. A step 11 at the foot of the bulkhead and directly below the forward part of the hatch makes it easy to get in and'out of the ope g.

A cover -12- ordinarily c1 see the h iah opening, and in this position liessubstantially even with ,thedeck; 8.-

This cover is hinged to the deck-f fat-its rear. end, so that when the coveris raised to permit entrance and egress it"s't'ands at'an inclination di-' rectly in front 'of the lower portion of the propeller circle insuch; manner as topreventpersons using the. front entrance'orstanding on the forward deckfrom getting oi the pro 'eller eans'are for locking the hatch:

under si cover also for looking it closed. The particular mechanism may be widely varied, but I preferably employ a toggle arrangement consisting of a air of links 13 pivoted at 14 to the e. of the cover, and'a pair of links 15 pivoted at 16 to brackets 17 secured to the under side of the deck at the sides of the hatch opening, the links 13 and 15 being pivotally connected to each'other at 18. The links 15 may be of-angular section so that when the cover is fully raised and the links are carried slightly past center by a spring 19 the portions of the links adjoining the pivots 18 will abut to form a stop preventing further flexingof the toggles in this direction. The weight of the cover and the action of the sprin lock the toggles in this condition, hold ing the cover securely in the guarding position, and it is necessary to breakthe toggles before the cover can be lowered. A

In the closed position of the cover the toggles are folded, and the spring holds them stopped against each otherin a position with the line of centers 14, 18 back of the center 16, so that thelinks 15 actas rigid struts to prevent the cover rising under the action of the wind or'otherwise. In order to raise the cover it i's necessary first to'swing the links forward from this locking position. It will be understood that there is sufiicient looseness in the pivots or sufiicient yielding in thelinks ,to permitof this bein' done. It adds to the security that some i to swing the linkage forward tion of Fig. 4. it

The pivot 14 may be .a transverse shaft connecti' g thetwo links 13 and journaled in bearing brackets 20 on the cover. Operating knobs 21 may be fixed to the inner ends of the pivotslS.

from the posipropell'er-guard in this position, and J 2. An air and Water ward propeller, a float having a portion extending beneath the propeller, said portion affording an enclosed passageway past the propeller and provided with a hatch forward of the propeller, said hatch having a cover arranged to serve when raised as a shield to guard persons entering and leaving the hatch from the propeller, and a toggle mechanism comprising members pivotally connected pivotally connected, re-

craft having a forwith each other and spectively, With the float and with the hatch cover andconstructed to lock the cover in its propeller-guarding position. I 3. An air' and Water craft having a forward propeller, a float having a portion extending beneath the propeller, said portion affording an enclosed passageway past the propeller and provided with a hatchforward of the propeller, said hatch having a cover arranged to serve when raised as a shield to uard'persons entering and leaving the hatch roin the propeller, and a toggle mechanism comprising members pivotally connected with each other and pivotally connected, re spectively, with the float and with the hatch cover and constructed to lock the cover in its propeller-guarding position and also in its closed position.

p 4 LEROY R. GRUMMAN.

roe is required From the foregoing it will be perceived that my invention makesit feasible and safe for crew and passengers to enter or leave the plane from the front, while the propeller is turning, also that it is made safe and easy I for a member of the crew to take up a position forward of the propeller while'the craft is plroceedingunder control on the water. As as already been indicated, this is-of very great advantage in coming up to .a dock or mooring. :At such times it will be convenient for the man to stand in the entrance, preferably on the step 11, a position in whichthere is no danger of his going overboard.

I claim:

1. An air and water. ward 'ropeller, and a float having a portion exten ing beneath'the propeller, said portion afiording an enclosed passageway past the propeller and provided with a hatch forward of the propeller, said hatch having a cover arranged to serve craft having .a forwhen raised as a shield to guard personsf entering and leaving the hatch from the propeller. 

